(Yicai) July 22 -- The resolution on further deepening reform and advancing modernization adopted last week by the Chinese Communist Party’s top leadership presents a rare opportunity to develop thousands of China’s counties, especially economically, according to a specialist.

The resolution was adopted on July 18, the last day of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party, and the policy document was made public yesterday. It proposes improving the system and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development and advancing new urbanization, as well as enhancing the urban planning system to guide the coordinated development and compact layout of large, medium, and small cities and towns.

China has a vast number of counties between the city and village levels, and promoting urbanization at the county level will enable rural households to not only enjoy public services available in towns but also work in agriculture and related industries, according to Chen Jian, a special researcher at the China Society for Economic Reform.

China’s 1,866 counties and county-level cities cover 93 percent of the country and account for 40 percent of its gross domestic product, according to official data.

The policy nudge will help migrants get access to public services by registering in towns. The urbanization rate of China’s permanent population jumped to nearly 66.2 percent last year from 17.9 percent in 1978, while that for the registered population rose to only 48.3 percent, a difference of almost 17.9 percentage points or 270 million people, Chen said.

This means that 270 million residents who had been living in a city for more than six months without local household registration had zero or limited access to the basic public services provided by the government, noted Chen, who is also the executive director of the China County Economic Development Conference.

The exchange of resources between urban and rural areas will be smoothed by integration, Chen said, adding that China should speed up the urbanization of people who used to work as farmers, guide urban funds into rural areas, and promote coordinated development between urban and rural industries.

The resolution suggests leveling out financial resources and rights. This should help enrich financial resources, lower debt risks, and promote the balanced development of the county-level economy, society, and people’s well-being, Chen said.

The policy document also proposes a deeper reform of land use rights. Land reform is closely related to the interests of hundreds of millions of farmers, Chen said, noting that a new round of reform would greatly advance urban-rural integration and rural revitalization.

The full text of the resolution can be fund here: https://english.news.cn/20240721/342df6c6e05c4e1a9ce4f6e3b933007b/c.html 

Editor: Emmi Laine